Written Answers Monday 7 February 2005

Scottish Executive

Audiology

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce waiting lists for audiology treatment in the NHS Greater Glasgow area.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has made available an additional £17 million of central funding to NHS boards for audiology services over the period 2003-04 to 2006-07. Additionally, recurring funding of £5.5 million has been committed to audiology services from 2006-07 onwards. The Executive is closely monitoring the development of the modernisation project and we are considering innovative ways to continue to reduce waiting times as a matter of urgency. This includes looking at partnerships between NHS boards and the private sector.

  In 2004-05, NHS Greater Glasgow was allocated £1,176,540 from the Audiology Modernisation Project Board funds for staffing, accommodation upgrades and digital hearing aids and to support the waiting list initiative.

Dentistry

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to tackle dental disease among children in the NHS Greater Glasgow area, given its decision not to proceed with legislation to permit the fluoridation of water supplies.

Mr Andy Kerr: Greater Glasgow Health Board has in place a range of measures to improve the oral health of children, including schemes to distribute free toothbrushes and paste to infants and to encourage tooth brushing skills in young children attending nurseries throughout the city. This work is further complemented by multi-professional locality based oral health action teams established to encourage a range of professional interests to work together to tackle the causes of dental disease. Though the Executive has stated that existing legislation on water fluoridation will not be amended in this Parliament, the Water (Fluoridation) Act 1985, which sets the framework for the introduction of fluoridation schemes, remains in force.

  Under the Act, Scottish Water may fluoridate the public water supply when an NHS board so applies, following local consultation.

Dentistry

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the programme funded by the Health Improvement Fund to improve oral health by providing free toothbrushes and toothpaste for targeted groups of children and the programme to support daily tooth brushing for children aged three to six years in rural areas and areas of deprivation still exist.

Mr Andy Kerr: Programmes to provide free toothbrushes and paste have been in place across Scotland since 2001. Initially these schemes provided free toothbrushes and paste to all children at eight months and to those aged one to three years in areas of need. The scheme has been kept under constant review and is being refocused to include children between the ages of three and five years. In addition, nursery tooth brushing schemes are in place in health boards throughout Scotland. These are estimated to be in place in approximately 70%-80% of nurseries, subject to local variation.

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant orthodontists are employed per capita in each NHS board area and how many vacancies there are in each area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The current ISD Scotland data is correct to 30 September 2003. The following table shows the headcount and whole-time equivalent (WTE) numbers and rates per 100,000 population of consultant orthodontists, broken down by NHS board, at 30 September 2003. There were no vacancies reported for this census period.

  

NHS Board (at 30 September 2003)
Headcount1
WTE2
Headcount Rate per 100,000 Population
WTE Rate per 100,000 Population


Scotland
29
25.1
0.57
0.50


NHS Argyll and Clyde 
2
2.0
0.48
0.48


NHS Ayrshire and Arran 
2
2.0
0.54
0.54


NHS Borders 
1
0.5
0.92
0.46


NHS Dumfries and Galloway 
1
1.0
0.68
0.68


NHS Fife 
1
1.0
0.28
0.28


NHS Forth Valley 
3
2.3
1.07
0.82


NHS Grampian 
2
2.0
0.38
0.38


NHS Greater Glasgow 
5
3.8
0.58
0.44


NHS Highland 
2
2.0
0.96
0.96


NHS Lanarkshire 
3
3.0
0.54
0.54


NHS Lothian 
5
3.5
0.64
0.45


NHS Orkney 
-
-
-
-


NHS Shetland 
-
-
-
-


NHS Tayside 
3
1.9
0.78
0.49


NHS Western Isles 
-
-
-
-



  Source: ISD Scotland, Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

  Notes:

  1. A doctor may hold more than one appointment. Their appointments may be in more than one NHS organisation. In this case, they are counted once under each organisation but only once in the total.

  2. WTE (whole time equivalent) adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part time staff. NHS board totals do not add to Scotland figure due to rounding.

  ISD Scotland will be releasing the medical and dental census position, correct to  30 September 2004, on 10 February 2005.

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for (a) assessment, (b) urgent treatment and (c) non-urgent treatment by an orthodontist in each hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally. Most orthodontics treatment is carried out in an out-patient setting and is likely to undertaken at the second and subsequent appointments. Information on waiting times is available only for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant, following a General Medical/Dental Practitioner referral.

  The median waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with an orthodontic consultant, following referral, by NHS hospital, in the year ended 30 September 2004, is provided in the table.

  NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times for a First Out-Patient Appointment1 with an Orthodontic Consultant, Following a General Medical/Dental Practitioner Referral. Year Ended 30 September 2004P

  

Hospital
Median Wait


Abbey Health Centre
45 days


Adamson Hospital, Cupar
95 days


Argyll and Bute Hospital, Lochgilphead
-2


Ayr Hospital
33 days


Borders General Hospital, Melrose
405 days


Caithness General Hospital, Wick
336 days


Campbeltown Health Centre
152 days


Castle Douglas Locality Office, Dumfries and Galloway
-2


Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
37 days


Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin
728 days


Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary
336 days


Dunbar Hospital, Thurso
-2


Dundee Dental Hospital
59 days


Edinburgh Dental Institute, Lauriston Building
151 days


Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary
56 days


Fort William Community Clinic
50 days


Garrick Hospital, Stranraer
-2


Glasgow Dental Hospital and School
322 days3


Greenock Health Centre
-2


Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride
81 days


Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock
82 days


Islay Hospital, Bowmore
-2


Lawson Memorial Hospital, Golspie
149 days


Lorn and Islands DG Hospital, Oban
-2


Monklands Hospital, Airdrie
104 days


Perth Royal Infirmary
485 days


Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline
33 days


Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
267 days


Ross Memorial Hospital, Dingwall
413 days


Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
77 days


Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley
6 days


St Andrews Memorial Hospital
399 days


St John's Hospital At Howden, Livingston
17 days


Stirling Royal Infirmary
110 days


Thurso High School, Ormlie Road, Thurso
-2


Town and County Hospital, Nairn
245 days


Vale of Leven District General Hospital, Alexandria
-2


Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
44 days


Western Isles Hospital, Stornoway
152 days


Wishaw General Hospital
64 days


NHSScotland
81 days



  PProvisional.

  Notes:

  1. Includes patients with a waiting time guarantee. Excludes patients with availability status codes.

  2. Median waiting time not provided where the number of appointments is less than 40.

  3. Information for Glasgow Dental Hospital and School relates to the period 1 April 2004 to 30 September 2004. Data is not available prior to that period.

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any access grants or incentive packages available to encourage specialist NHS orthodontic practitioners to set up in areas of need.

Rhona Brankin: There are currently no grants or incentive packages available from the Executive to encourage dentists willing to set up NHS orthodontic dental practices but this issue is under active consideration by the Executive.

Electricity Act 1989

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time was to process applications made under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 in each of the last three years and how many of these applications remain outstanding.

Allan Wilson: The information on consents received and determined in the past three years is set out in the following table.

  

Year
Applications Received
Applications
Determined
Running Total of Outstanding Applications at Year End
Average Time to Determination (in months)


2002
3
Nil
4
n/a


2003
17
7
14
13


2004
23
6
31
17

Enterprise

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what skills and labour shortages in the Scottish economy could be addressed through the selective admissions system operated by the UK Government.

Mr Tom McCabe: Extensive research undertaken by our labour market intelligence unit, Futureskills Scotland, has consistently shown that skills shortages are not a major issue in the Scottish labour market. The most recent Employer Skills Survey, which was published on 27 January, presents the results from interviews with over 7,500 employers in Scotland, and shows again that attracting appropriately skilled staff is a mid ranking challenge facing Scottish businesses. The number of skills shortage vacancies in Scotland is small - equivalent to less than 1% of all employees and affecting 5% of establishments.

  That said, some sectors do have issues with hard-to-fill vacancies and there is continuing demand in areas of our public sector, we are taking steps to address these. We are also putting in place now steps to address our longer term demographic projections of a declining and aging population through our Fresh Talent Initiative, which aims to ensure we have the skills and talent to enable our economy to continue to grow.

  Scotland already benefits from the diverse listing of skills and specialists included under the UK’s Shortage Occupations Scheme, and we will continue to discuss with the Home Office opportunities open to Scotland under the existing immigration rules, including the Shortage Occupation Scheme, to ensure maximum advantage for Scotland.

Enterprise

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its Fresh Talent initiative, how many expatriate Scots returned to Scotland in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its Fresh Talent initiative, what type of employment expatriate Scots secured, broken down by profession, in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its Fresh Talent initiative, from which countries expatriate Scots returned in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its Fresh Talent initiative, how many expatriate Scots did not secure employment on their return to Scotland in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its Fresh Talent initiative, how many expatriate Scots successfully started their own business in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally.

Environment

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the research project "Scottish Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Obligation" was published; what conclusions were reached, and when the project was commissioned.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has not commissioned or published research on "Scottish Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Obligation".

Environment

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have set up designated noise control areas under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.

Lewis Macdonald: By 2 February 2005, only one local authority, the City of Edinburgh Council, had formally submitted a copy of their resolution to Scottish ministers to apply the noise control provisions to all of its area, as required under section 41(5)(b)(i) of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.

  A total of twenty two local authorities have, however, applied to the Scottish Executive for funding to assist in the discharge of the noise provisions of the act. These provisions have not yet commenced as supporting regulations to the act – the Antisocial Behaviour (Noise control) Regulations 2005 – have still to come into force.

Environment

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12955 by Lewis Macdonald on 10 January 2005, how many meetings it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the implementation of the EU Environmental Noise Directive; when the meetings took place, and whether it will publish the minutes of these meetings.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has had a number of meetings with UK Government Departments since 2002 on the implementation of the EU Environmental Directive. The Executive does not intend to publish the minutes of these meetings since they reflect the formulation of government policy. They are exempt from disclosure under sections 28(1) and 29(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Environment

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12955 by Lewis Macdonald on 10 January 2005, whether it will publish details of its consultation on the implementation of the EU Environmental Noise Directive; when the consultation will begin, and who will be consulted.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive will publish a consultation document on the implementation of the EU Environmental Noise Directive within the next few weeks; this will be sent to all relevant stakeholders including, among others, local authorities, transport organisations and professional bodies.

European Working Time Directive

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the measurable impact of the implementation of the European Working Time Directive has been on capacity in the acute sector.

Mr Andy Kerr: Patient safety is of paramount importance and no NHS employee should be working when they are overtired. That is why implementation of the working time regulations is a key element in our work to improve patient care. By far the most significant impact of the working time regulations is among junior doctors because of the historically long hours they worked. The Executive wants all doctors in training to enjoy safer working conditions and provide the highest quality of patient care. Since the introduction of the New Deal Contract, junior doctors’ hours have been cut significantly, and around 97% of doctors in training in Scotland are now working for 56 hours a week or less.

  Data on the total weekly hours available from doctors in training from 1993 to 2009, showing the impact of the Working Time Regulations, are provided at chart 17 in chapter 4 of the Scottish Health Workforce Plan–2004 Baseline, published by the Scottish Executive in 2004. A copy of this is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32656).

  This shows that available hours from doctors in training across Scotland increased between 1993 and 2000 and then remained stable between 2001 and 2003 (the latest year for which data are available). This was due to an increase in the number of doctors in training over the same period, as shown at chart 19 of the same publication.

Fisheries

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an updated estimate of the total number of salmon which were lost from sea cages in the storms of 11 and 12 January 2005 and what proportion of this total was found dead in the cages.

Lewis Macdonald: We are not yet in a position to update the initial estimates of salmon losses and mortalities. Final figures will be provided to the Executive by the industry shortly, in accordance with statutory notification procedures.

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been made available to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to implement the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Lewis Macdonald: SEPA’s annual funding allocation is intended to cover the range of its duties and responsibilities, including the implementation of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. It is a matter for SEPA to determine what proportion of its overall resources is to be devoted to specific responsibilities.

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what training has been made available to Scottish Environment Protection Agency staff to implement the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Lewis Macdonald: It is the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s responsibility to ensure that staff are trained appropriately. However, the Scottish Executive has provided a fully adaptable learning package, which was made available to the entire Scottish public sector at no charge, as well as extensive guidance. The Executive’s Freedom of Information Unit assisted the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner in a series of regional seminars as well as providing an extensive series of workshops and seminars on request.

Health

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26868 by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 July 2002, what progress has been made in creating a combined community and hospital medicines utilisation database.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS National Services Scotland (NHS NSS) is establishing a medicines utilisation unit headed by a chief pharmaceutical adviser. The work of this unit will include exploring the creation of a combined community and hospital medicines utilisation database. Discussions are on-going on ways to use electronic links already established between hospitals, GP practices and NHS NSS, and about to be provided to community pharmacies, to allow prescribing and dispensing data to be collated from the different NHS sources.

  Information about medicines prescribed and dispensed in the community is already available nationally. However, developing a robust combined database for hospital and community prescribing for NHSScotland will present many challenges and will require further refinement to the existing primary care database and the development of an electronic prescribing system for hospitals.

  To progress this work, the Executive has funded the further development of the Prescribing Information System for Scotland (PRISMS), which gives access to prescribing information for prescriptions dispensed in the community for the past five years. For hospital data, a prototype electronic prescribing system is undergoing trials in the South Ayrshire hospital. Standards and a statement of requirements based on that work are being drawn up to facilitate the general introduction of electronic prescribing in Scottish hospitals.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that patients needing primary hip and knee replacement are treated by a surgeon who has the experience and knowledge gained by carrying out the operation frequently and whether it will issue advice to patients highlighting the advantages of seeking a surgeon who regularly undertakes a number of operations a week.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive believes that specialisation across various disciplines can improve outcomes for patients.

  Trained surgeons are listed on the General Medical Council Specialist Register as having completed training in the relevant specialty, while trainee surgeons learn and perfect surgical procedures under the supervision of a consultant surgeon. Judging when a surgeon is able to undertake specific operations is a matter for agreement between the surgeon and the employing NHS board.

  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has devised generic clinical governance standards to ensure that clinical practice is audited systematically. These include questions that patients may wish to ask about any surgical procedure they may undergo. The Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality is one example of this type of audit, which assists surgeons to reflect on their practice. Clinical audit is key in terms of monitoring clinical performance.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS-run opticians regarding maintaining standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

Mr Andy Kerr: The NHS does not generally provide high street optical services itself, but may make arrangements for these services through independent contractor optometrists. Their terms of service require them to provide proper and sufficient consulting and waiting room accommodation and suitable equipment for the provision of general ophthalmic services. Health boards are able to inspect such accommodation and equipment on request. It is expected that any contractor carrying out health care on behalf of NHSScotland will adhere to local and national NHSScotland guidance and protocols relating to infection control, hygiene and safe decontamination of re-usable devices.

  Neither the NHS nor the Scottish Executive sets cleanliness and hygiene standards in respect of privately-operated optician services.

Health

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diagnosed with Korsakoff’s psychosis in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Rhona Brankin: The latest complete figures are as follows, for 1997 to 2001. Later information is incomplete. NHS National Services Scotland is working to correct this position.

  Patients Diagnosed with Korsakoff's Psychosis in Scotland

  New Occurrences by NHS Board of Residence and Year of Admission

  

 
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001*


Scotland
275
320
319
247
243


Argyll and Clyde
28
41
32
28
39


Ayrshire and Arran
17
12
22
16
20


Borders
*
*
5
*
*


Dumfries and Galloway
*
*
*
*
*


Fife
8
11
5
9
6


Forth Valley
*
11
12
9
6


Grampian
16
12
13
9
10


Greater Glasgow
109
139
135
76
86


Highland
13
*
8
11
7


Lanarkshire
24
40
41
28
24


Lothian
38
34
32
44
29


Orkney
0
0
0
0
0


Shetland Islands
0
0
0
0
*


Tayside
12
7
10
11
8


Western Isles
*
5
*
0
*



  Source: ISD Scotland SMR01/SMR04 linked data set.

  Notes:

  *Numbers under 5 have been masked to preserve confidentiality.

  2001 information for Forth Valley, Lanarkshire and Lothian is incomplete.

Health

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential places have been available for people diagnosed with Korsakoff’s psychosis in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Rhona Brankin: The information requested is not held centrally. Those with Korsakoff’s psychosis will be cared for within mainstream services.

Hepatitis

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address any shortage of skilled nurses to manage the caseloads of patients with hepatitis C.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is committed to building nursing capacity within NHSScotland and is on track to achieve the Partnership Agreement target of attracting 12,000 nurses and midwives to NHS Scotland by 2007.

  In addition, the Facing the Future initiative for recruitment and retention of nurses is supporting and promoting a range of measures to boost the number of qualified nurses in NHSScotland, which is now at an all time high of 39,000 whole-time equivalents (WTE).

  Information on clinical nurse specialists employed in NHSScotland was collected for the first time at 30 September 2003. Across Scotland, nurse specialists who treat and care for patients with hepatitis C can be identified under the following titles: gastro-intestinal specialist nurses, hepatology specialist nurses and substance misuse specialist nurses. Information on staff in post by NHS board and clinical area of work is published in the report Clinical Nurse Specialists – Results from the Pilot Data Collection. This report is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

  Information on Clinical Nurse Specialists is now collected annually at 30 September each year and compliments other intelligence and data for workforce planning purposes.

Hepatitis

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are sufficient resources available to ensure that people with hepatitis C are treated and counselled (a) inside and (b) outside hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13609, on 31 January 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search .

Hepatitis

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are substantial support services available for people diagnosed with hepatitis C.

Mr Andy Kerr: Since 2002, the Executive has made available resources for the establishment and on-going activities of the UK Hepatitis C Resource Centre in Scotland, which is based in Glasgow and offers advice on testing and treatment to those affected by hepatitis C.The services provided by the centre are in addition to those made available through individual NHS boards.

Hepatitis

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has put audit processes in place to assess the effectiveness of hepatitis C prevention and harm-reduction measures.

Mr Andy Kerr: Current processes include:

  - monitoring by Health Protection Scotland of the prevalence of hepatitis C among injecting drug users. This surveillance activity is designed to monitor trends so that the effectiveness of interventions can be evaluated.

  - a study, funded by the Effective Interventions Unit, to evaluate the effectiveness of the raising of the limits on the numbers of needles and syringes made available to injecting drug users; a report on the findings of this study will be published in 2005.

  - a study, funded by the Chief Scientist Office, to evaluate the impact of methadone maintenance on high risk behaviours among injecting drug users, which was completed last year. A final report has been submitted to the Chief Scientist Office and a scientific publication is likely in 2005.

Hepatitis

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding has been identified for further preventative innovations to combat the spread of hepatitis C.

Mr Andy Kerr: In addition to their unified budgets, the Executive already gives over £8 million per year to NHS boards in earmarked resources for work to prevent bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis C. NHS boards use these resources in a variety of ways taking account of local need, including awareness-raising initiatives and needle exchange schemes.

  In October 2004, linked to SR2004, it was announced that an additional £6 million per annum would be provided for drug treatment and rehabilitation services in 2005-06. This brings the total to £32.5 million per annum, an increase of 23% on 2004-05.

Hepatitis

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an outline of its hepatitis C action plan.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its hepatitis C action plan will have (a) a public and (b) a medical professional component.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the launch of its hepatitis C action plan will be accompanied by a financial commitment and, if so, whether this will be new funding and whether it will be ring-fenced.

Mr Andy Kerr: The hepatitis C action plan will serve as a broad framework for further implementation of the SNAP recommendations and the key messages in the Consensus Statement which emerged from the Conference in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in April 2004. It will also draw upon the evidence from the research studies published by the Effective Interventions Unit. The plan is currently being developed in consultation with stakeholders, for issue in spring 2005. It will set out the action in train and proposed to tackle hepatitis C.

  The main objectives of the plan are to set out the actions that will reduce the transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and manage the burden of disease among those individuals who know they are infected and those who do not. Key areas of the plan will cover prevention, early detection and testing, treatment and care, and monitoring and surveillance. A key element of the plan will also be to raise awareness at all levels including professional and targeted groups of the general public.

  The financial implications of the action plan will be addressed as its various components are developed. However, the Executive already gives over £8 million each year to NHS boards in earmarked resources for work to prevent bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis C. In addition to this specific allocation, NHS boards are given a unified budget to meet the health care needs of their resident population. It is for NHS boards to decide how best to utilise this funding to meet local and national priorities, including the treatment and prevention of hepatitis C.

  The Scottish Executive has commissioned Health Protection Scotland to estimate the current and future burden of HCV-related disease in Scotland over the next two decades. Further work is also being commissioned to identify how much it will cost NHSScotland to care for individuals infected with hepatitis C and how cost-effective different approaches to hepatitis C case finding and treatment would be.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number and rate was of hospital-acquired (a) blood infections and (b) post-surgical infections in each NHS board in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: A national mandatory hospital infection surveillance system was introduced in 2001 to monitor blood infections with MRSA. The surveillance is operated by Health Protection Scotland and it produces quarterly reports. A first preliminary report on selected surgical site infections was published in October 2003 and a second in 2004.

  Data for both schemes are available at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scieh/infectious/infhospital.html

Housing

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many first-time buyers were helped on to the property ladder as a result of assistance from it in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland offers a range of schemes to promote low cost home ownership targeted at those on lower than average incomes such as first time buyers. In the period 1999-2000 to 2003-04, as shown in the following table, Communities Scotland grant assisted for construction, the building of the following number of low cost home ownership homes.

  Communities Scotland Grant Assisted Low Cost Home Ownership Homes (1999-2000 to 2003-04)

  

Year
Total


1999-2000
2,168


2000-01
1,134


2001-02
374


2002-03
623


2003-04
1,372

Housing

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes have been returned to use through the (a) Rural Empty Properties Grant and (b) Empty Homes Initiative in each local authority area in each of the last five years; what percentage of the budget allocated under each scheme was used in each year, and what percentage of applications was successful in each year under each scheme.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The number of houses which have been returned to use through the Rural Empty Properties Grant (REPG) and Empty Homes Initiative (EHI) in each local authority area in each of the last five years are as follows:

  Table 1 – REPG by Local Authority (1999-2000 to 2003-04)

  

Local Authority
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Aberdeenshire
3
 
 
1
 


Angus
 
3
 
 
2


Argyll and Bute
 
 
 
 
1


Eilean Siar
 
 
6
 
 


Fife
 
2
 
 
 


Highland
3
2
4
2
 


Moray
 
 
 
1
 


Perth and Kinross
 
1
1
1
 


Shetland Islands
1
2
 
 
 



  Table 2 – EHI by Local Authority (1999-2000 to 2003-04)

  

Local Authority
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02


Aberdeen City
 
 
29


Aberdeenshire
10
14
2


Angus
6
4
12


Argyll and Bute
 
3
4


Dumfries and Galloway
 
5
 


Dundee City
 
 
40


East Ayrshire
29
 
4


East Lothian
 
5
2


Edinburgh, City of
22
14
27


Eilean Siar
6
 
 


Falkirk
23
 
12


Fife
4
14
31


Glasgow City
32
53
126


Highland
 
6
36


Inverclyde
 
 
16


Moray
 
10
18


North Lanarkshire
11
10
19


Perth and Kinross
 
 
6


Renfrewshire
 
 
58


Scottish Borders
3
18
7


Shetland Islands
2
7
7


South Ayrshire
 
15
4


South Lanarkshire
2
 
10


West Dunbartonshire
8
9
7


West Lothian
20
16
28



  Note: Information on units has been recorded in line with individual EHI funding rounds. The last funding round for EHI completed in 2001-02 although there was residual expenditure in the next two years which can be seen in table 3.

  The percentage of the budget allocated under each scheme which was expended in each year was as follows:

  Table 3 – REPG and EHI Expenditure (1999-2000 to 2003-04)

  

 
REPG
EHI


Expenditure
(£ Million)
Budget Versus Expenditure
(%)
Expenditure
(£ Million)
Budget Versus Expenditure
(%)


1999-2000
0.082
100
3.771
61.8


2000-01
0.191
100
4.869
64.9


2001-02
0.101
100
6.352
88.7


2002-03
0.211
100
0.371
72.6


2003-04
0.178
100
0.056
100.0



  With regard to the level of successful applications in each year, under REPG, only details of approved projects per year are recorded, which can be seen in table 1. Under EHI, the final funding round covered the period 1999-2000 to 2001-02. In total, 80 projects were initially approved across the three years in 29 local authorities with an additional 14 projects being allocated funding in 2001-02. Only details of approved projects are recorded which can be seen in table 2.

Housing

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many empty homes it estimates there are that would be capable of being brought back into use and how many homes were brought back into use in each local authority area in each of the last five years, showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

  Responsibility for tackling the issue of empty homes rests with local authorities as part of their Local Housing Strategies. It is an expectation set out in the guidance that, as part of a wider strategic approach to address housing need, alongside neighbourhood renewal and community planning initiatives, their strategy should consider whether the existing public and private housing stock is being managed to best effect and if there are management solutions based on that stock to existing or emerging housing problems.

  An analysis of data from the Post Census Vacant Survey is available through the Publications and Data – Data Library section on the Scottish Executive Housing Statistics website:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref.

  Table 1 provides background information on the number of vacant housing authority dwellings at 31 March for each of the last five years, by reason for the vacancy. It cannot be used to determine how many vacant dwellings could be brought into use. Table 2 gives year-on-year percentage changes.

  Table 1: Housing Authority Dwellings Vacant at 31 March, Numbers

  

Reason for Vacancy
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


(a) Used as temporary accommodation for homeless
326
348
395
410
296


(b) To be demolished or sold with vacant possession within two years
5,356
7,249
6,954
7,279
4,809


(c) Part of modernisation or major repair programme
1,172
1,027
1,168
1,132
676


(d) In identified low demand area 
4,293
4,077
4,054
3,836
2,751


(e) Other
10,373
9,376
8,175
8,479
5,972


Total vacant dwellings
21,520
22,077
20,746
21,136
14,504



  Table 2: Housing Authority Dwellings Vacant at 31 March, Year-on-Year Percentage Changes

  

Reason for vacancy
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


(a) Used as temporary accommodation for homeless
n/a
7
14
4
-28


(b) To be demolished or sold with vacant possession within two years
n/a
35
-4
5
-34


(c) Part of modernisation or major repair programme
n/a
-12
14
-3
-40


(d) In identified low demand area 
n/a
-5
-1
-5
-28


(e) Other
n/a
-10
-13
4
-30


Total vacant dwellings
n/a
3
-6
2
-31



  Notes:

  1. Figures are for local authority and Scottish Homes stock.

  2. Figures contain some estimates due to outstanding/incomplete returns.

  3. Due to housing stock transfers, figures for local authority dwellings in Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders are not included in 2004. This will account for some of the decrease seen between 2003 and 2004.

  4. If a dwelling falls into more than one category, it is allocated to the category that appears first in the table.

  5. Dwellings are included in category (a) if they are used solely as temporary accommodation for the homeless.

  6. There is no information to determine whether dwellings in category (b) could be made habitable.

  7. Dwellings are included in category (c) if the modernisation or repair scheme is due to be implemented within two years.

  8. Dwellings are included in category (d) if the authority has developed a strategy to deal with the low demand.

  9. The table provides a snapshot of the situation as at 31 March each year. Dwellings may remain vacant for longer than one year, or become vacant intermittently over the five year period. Therefore, the rows cannot be summed to give a total number of vacant dwellings over the period.

Housing

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific assistance it will provide for first-time buyers in rural Scotland and whether, in particular, it will provide assistance with (a) fixed or reduced price new properties and (b) shared equity schemes.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The goal of the Scottish Executive’s housing investment programme is to provide new and improved housing in disadvantaged communities, to replace or improve poor quality housing and to help people on low incomes rent social housing or buy a fixed or reduced price home in rural or urban areas where demand exceeds supply or where market prices are beyond the reach of their incomes.

  Ministers have announced that the housing investment programme will aim to provide 5,000 low cost home ownership homes in the period 2005-06 to 2007-08. Aligned to this, Communities Scotland is developing a new shared equity grant for introduction this year, targeted mainly at first time buyers. We expect this new grant to be delivering as much as 1,000 new homes per annum by 2007-08. This will be available in rural and urban areas.

  In the period 1999-2000 to 2003-04, the Scottish Executive helped fund 5,671 low cost home ownership homes targeted at those on lower than average incomes such as first time buyers, of which 1,252 were in rural areas.

NHS Contracts

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-13100, S2W-13102 and S2W-13103 by Mr Andy Kerr on 19 January 2005, how it will ensure that the terms of the proposed contracts with the independent health care sector, including numbers of patients and procedures and contract duration, are negotiated to provide value for the taxpayer and quality service to NHS patients and how it will demonstrate that this value and quality have been achieved.

Mr Andy Kerr: As I said in my previous answers, contracts will be competitively tendered. Staff negotiating the contracts within NHS boards will have access to information about NHS costs both in Scotland and south of the Border, and about comparable prices in the independent sector. They will reach a view on how best to structure contracts in terms of prices, duration, numbers of procedures and other factors that provide the best achievable value for money and ensures that waiting times are reduced for NHS patients in Scotland. Contracts will also be subject to financial audit.

  The contract terms will include a requirement that independent health care providers are properly accredited, and that they use clinical governance and clinical audit processes that are comparable to those in place in NHSScotland.

NHS Services

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the evidence to the Audit Committee on 25 January 2005 by the Head of the Health Department and Chief Executive of the NHS in Scotland, what the impact on patient services was of backdating the new consultant contract.

Mr Andy Kerr: Agreement to award arrears of pay to eligible consultants under the new consultant contract is conditional on each consultant agreeing a job plan with his or her manager. The job planning process allows managers to schedule all of a consultant’s weekly activities systematically in order to secure the capacity required to improve services to patients and, where appropriate, take forward the re-design of services. Arrears of pay are only released where managers and consultants agree how the working week is filled in a way which makes best use of each consultant’s time for direct clinical care, supporting professional activities and on-call responsibilities.

NHS Services

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the evidence to the Audit Committee on 25 January 2005 by the Head of the Health Department and Chief Executive of the NHS in Scotland, what the cost of backdating the General Medical Services contract will be in each NHS board area.

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the evidence to the Audit Committee on 25 January 2005 by the Head of the Health Department and Chief Executive of the NHS in Scotland, what the impact on patient services will be of backdating the General Medical Services contract.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no elements of the new General Medical Service (GMS) contract which require to be backdated.

  Specific parts of the new GMS contract, such as quality preparation and some Directed Enhanced Services were implemented from 1 April 2003. Full implementation took place from 1 April 2004. These arrangements were as agreed during UK negotiations between the NHS Confederation and the General Practitioners Committee.

NHS Services

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the evidence to the Audit Committee on 25 January 2005 by the Head of the Health Department and Chief Executive of the NHS in Scotland, how continuing professional development will be measured for those consultants who have not accepted the new contract and what action will be taken to ensure best value for patients.

Mr Andy Kerr: The training needs of all NHS consultants, whether on the new contract or the old contract, are identified in their learning development plans and progressed through regular appraisal procedures. Changes are however planned to link in with the future revalidation of all doctors.

  Following the fifth report of the Shipman Inquiry, Her Majesty’s Government announced the postponement of the General Medical Council’s (GMC) proposals for revalidation, which were due to be implemented from 1 April 2005, and that a review would be undertaken by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer in England. As well as considering the arrangements for revalidation of doctors’ registration and how they relate to NHS appraisal, that review will also consider the membership of the GMC and how it is appointed, and whether it should retain a capacity (under fitness to practice procedures) to act as both judge and jury on the cases of doctors behaviour and performance.

NHS Staff

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many orthopaedic surgeons there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The current ISD Scotland data is correct to 30 September 2003. There has been a 7.8% increase in the number of Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeons between 1999 and 2003.

  The following table shows the headcount and whole-time equivalent (WTE) numbers of trauma and orthopaedic consultants as at 30 September for the years 1999 to 2003, broken down by NHS board.

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


NHS Board
Headcount
WTE1
Headcount
WTE1
Headcount
WTE1
Headcount
WTE1
Headcount
WTE1


Scotland
140
136.0
138
135.1
139
136.5
143
140.6
151
148.6


NHS Argyll and Clyde 
8
8.0
8
8.0
7
7.0
8
8.0
10
10.0


NHS Ayrshire and Arran 
9
9.0
9
9.0
9
9.0
10
10.0
11
11.0


NHS Borders 
4
4.0
4
4.0
4
4.0
4
4.0
4
4.0


NHS Dumfries and Galloway 
4
4.0
3
3.0
4
4.0
4
4.0
5
5.0


NHS Fife 
6
6.0
6
6.0
7
7.0
7
7.0
7
7.0


NHS Forth Valley 
8
7.8
8
8.0
8
8.0
8
8.0
8
8.0


NHS Grampian 
15
13.9
14
13.3
13
12.6
16
15.8
17
16.8


NHS Greater Glasgow 
30
29.3
30
29.6
32
31.6
32
31.6
31
30.6


NHS Highland 
6
6.0
6
6.0
6
6.0
6
6.0
8
8.0


NHS Lanarkshire 
11
11.0
12
12.0
12
12.0
11
11.0
11
11.0


NHS Lothian 
21
19.7
20
18.9
21
19.9
21
19.9
23
21.9


NHS Orkney 
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


NHS Shetland 
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


NHS Tayside 
17
16.3
17
16.3
16
15.3
16
15.3
16
15.3


NHS Western Isles 
1
1.0
1
1.0
-
-
-
-
-
-



  Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

  Notes:

  1. WTE adjusts to take account of part-time working.

  2. Latest available figures are at 30 September 2003.

  ISD Scotland will be releasing the medical and dental census position, correct to 30 September 2004, on 10 February 2005.

Ophthalmic Services

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on hygiene and cleanliness in opticians.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive regards cleanliness and hygiene in all health care premises, whether owned and operated by the NHS or used to provide a service to NHS patients under contract, as very important. Clean and hygienic premises reduce the risk of infection and improve the quality of patients’ and users’ experience of public services.

  Neither NHSScotland nor the Scottish Executive sets cleanliness and hygiene standards in respect of privately-operated optician services. The NHS does not generally provide high street optical services itself, but may make arrangements for these services through independent contractor optometrists. Their terms of service require them to provide proper and sufficient consulting and waiting room accommodation and suitable equipment for the provision of general ophthalmic services. Health boards are able to inspect such accommodation and equipment on request. It is expected that any contractor carrying out health care on behalf of NHSScotland will adhere to local and national NHSScotland guidance and protocols relating to infection control, hygiene and safe decontamination of re-usable devices.

Police

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers it expects to be employed in 2014-15.

Cathy Jamieson: While recruitment of police officers is an operational matter for chief constables, the most recent spending review in 2004 provided for sufficient resources to deliver our Partnership Agreement commitment to increase the number of police officers during this parliamentary session. Police numbers in future years, including 2014-15, will of course be dependent on the outcome of future spending reviews and the future decisions of chief constables.

Police

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which police forces have their own diversity unit whose objective is to promote equality in the areas of sexual orientation, race, age, religion/faith, disability and gender issues.

Cathy Jamieson: All Scottish police forces are taking forward work on diversity. In April 2004, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) launched a Diversity Strategy for the Police Service in Scotland. This takes account of the dual role which the police have as both employer and service provider. The strategy provides a framework for developing and sustaining a diverse workforce within an environment which is both supportive and inclusive and offers direction to the service to support the development of a climate of equality and sensitivity in its service provision.

  Each Chief Constable is to draw up a force action plan for the implementation of the Diversity Strategy at force-level and to report back to the ACPOS Diversity Standing Committee which will be monitoring the progress of each force against their respective action plans.

Police

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of the reported shortfall of almost £5 million will have on frontline police services and manpower throughout the Lothian and Borders police force area.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be for residents in the Scottish Borders and East Lothian of the reported £5 million shortfall within Lothian and Borders Police.

Cathy Jamieson: The amount of Grant Aided Expenditure allocated to Lothian and Borders Police for 2005-06 is £179 million, an increase of £10 million on 2004-05. Lothian and Borders Joint Police Board has set the budget for Lothian and Borders Police for 2005-06 equal to this amount.

  The number of police officers in Lothian and Borders Police at December 2004 was 2,785 (whole-time equivalents), up from 2,717 a year previously.

Population

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the population was in (a) 1999 and (b) 2004 and what the projected population figures are for 2010, broken down by Scottish parliamentary constituency.

Tavish Scott: Sub-national population estimates and projections are not calculated for Scottish parliamentary constituencies. Information for local authority and health board areas is available on the General Register Office for Scotland website at:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/library/index.html.

  Results from the 2001 Census, published by the Registrar General on 25 March 2003, show that the resident population at 29 April 2001 for each Scottish parliamentary constituency was:

  

Parliamentary Constituency
Total Population


Aberdeen Central
70,104


Aberdeen North
69,935


Aberdeen South
72,086


Airdrie and Shotts
77,762


Angus
77,083


Argyll and Bute
63,443


Ayr
71,382


Banff and Buchan
76,871


Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
52,405


Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
81,388


Central Fife
75,092


Clydebank and Milngavie
67,517


Clydesdale
81,888


Coatbridge and Chryston
66,789


Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
64,552


Cunninghame North
69,124


Cunninghame South
66,693


Dumbarton
76,074


Dumfries
80,595


Dundee East
76,557


Dundee West
68,512


Dunfermline East
70,115


Dunfermline West
65,508


East Kilbride
83,893


East Lothian
76,365


Eastwood
89,311


Edinburgh Central
74,270


Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
74,555


Edinburgh North and Leith
75,571


Edinburgh Pentlands
73,963


Edinburgh South
81,413


Edinburgh West
82,575


Falkirk East
75,956


Falkirk West
69,235


Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
67,170


Glasgow Anniesland
63,385


Glasgow Baillieston
64,106


Glasgow Cathcart
61,847


Glasgow Govan
61,555


Glasgow Kelvin
64,472


Glasgow Maryhill
64,628


Glasgow Pollok
62,756


Glasgow Rutherglen
65,720


Glasgow Shettleston
55,926


Glasgow Springburn
69,324


Gordon
78,720


Greenock and Inverclyde
62,478


Hamilton North and Bellshill
70,817


Hamilton South
60,743


Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
85,390


Kilmarnock and Loudoun
79,562


Kirkcaldy
63,598


Linlithgow
72,160


Livingston
86,554


Midlothian
64,327


Moray
79,003


Motherwell and Wishaw
65,630


North East Fife
75,116


North Tayside
78,651


Ochil
74,826


Orkney Islands
19,245


Paisley North
61,100


Paisley South
66,358


Perth
78,400


Ross, Skye and Inverness West
71,119


Roxburgh and Berwickshire
57,480


Shetland Islands
21,988


Stirling
69,272


Strathkelvin and Bearsden
81,252


Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale
65,898


West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
79,217


West Renfrewshire
67,134


Western Isles
26,502

Public Sector

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6398 by Andy Kerr on 2 June 2004, what further discussions it has had with UK officials on the Atkinson Review on national statistics and what implications this review will have for Scotland.

Mr Tom McCabe: The publication of the final report of the Atkinson Review on 31 January was an important and welcome development. The report will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to the measurement of public sector output and productivity in the UK.

  The Scottish Executive has been working closely with Sir Tony and his team throughout the whole review process and this features in his final report.

  The review has important implications for Scotland. The Executive will be producing a Scottish-based strategy in the spring which is consistent with International Standards (as detailed in the review), while over the next few months we shall focus our efforts on the National Statistician’s nine priority recommendations and attempt to provide data for Scotland for inclusion in the UK National Accounts – for publication in the 2005 Blue Book in June.

Rail Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to complete its appraisal of the Glasgow Crossrail scheme.

Nicol Stephen: In November 2003 the Executive awarded £0.5 million to Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) to undertake a feasibility study into their Crossrail proposals. In November 2004 SPT appointed the consultants Scott Wilson to carry out the study. Its findings are expected in mid-June.

Registers of Scotland

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) male and (b) female births there were in each of the last five years.

Tavish Scott: The information requested is presented in the table:

  Number of Births Registered 2000-04

  

 
Males
Females


2000
 27,196 
 25,880 


2001
 26,786 
 25,741 


2002
 26,218 
 25,052 


2003
 26,906 
 25,526 


2004*
 27,768 
 26,186 



  *Provisional.

Registers of Scotland

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage share of (a) male and (b) female births were children registered with (i) a single forename, (ii) two forenames, (iii) three forenames, (iv) four forenames, (v) more than four forenames and (vi) no forename in each of the last five years.

Tavish Scott: The information requested is presented in the table:

  Male births registered 2000-04

  

 
Number of Forenames


1
2
3
4
5+
None


2000
16.83%
66.76%
15.14%
1.14%
0.13%
-


2001
16.74%
66.64%
15.45%
1.03%
0.13%
0.00%1


2002
16.65%
66.18%
15.93%
1.09%
0.14%
-


2003 
16.55%
66.17%
16.00%
1.14%
0.13%
-


20042
16.64%
65.36%
16.63%
1.21%
0.16%
-



  Female Births Registered 2000-04

  

 
Number of Forenames


1
2
3
4
5+
None


2000
24.45%
63.35%
11.29%
0.76%
0.14%
-


2001
25.01%
63.35%
10.81%
0.73%
0.10%
-


2002
24.53%
63.47%
11.12%
0.79%
0.08%
-


2003
23.94%
63.41%
11.64%
0.88%
0.13%
-


20042
23.94%
63.20%
11.90%
0.84%
0.12%
-



  Notes:

  1. For one birth, no forename was reported.

  2. Provisional.

Registers of Scotland

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum number is of (a) forenames, (b) characters in all forenames combined, (c) characters in surnames, (d) characters in forenames and surnames combined that computer systems can record when births are registered.

Tavish Scott: The answers are as follows:

  (a) no maximum;

  (b) 200 characters, including spaces;

  (c) 50 characters, including spaces, and

  (d) 250 characters.

Research

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the level of Scottish GDP per capita spent on research and development in relation to (a) the rest of the United Kingdom and (b) EU member states.

Mr Jim Wallace: Research and development expenditure for the rest of the UK, excluding Scotland, in 2002 was £334 per head of population. The remaining information, including the comparison of Scotland with the UK and the other EU member states, is contained in the answer to your question S2W-12287, on 30 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search . Data for 2003 is not yet available.

Roads

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project is running to schedule.

Nicol Stephen: Preparation of the scheme is running to schedule. I am, however, very concerned that the issues surrounding the Camphill/Newton Dee community need to be fully addressed. To this end I have commissioned further work on possible alternative routes. It is anticipated that any delay will be recovered in the course of the future development of the scheme.

Roads

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the grant aided expenditure assessment in respect of road maintenance is for each local authority for (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.

Mr Tom McCabe: Provision for GAE (Grant Aided Expenditure) in respect of road maintenance for each local authority in Scotland in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 are shown in the following table.

  

Council
2004-05 Allocation
(£ Million)
2005-06 Allocation
(£ Million)


Aberdeen City
4,416
4,582


Aberdeenshire
11,444
11,875


Angus
3,905
4,052


Argyll and Bute
5,697
5,912


Clackmannanshire
1,242
1,288


Dumfries and Galloway
7,895
8,193


Dundee City
2,503
2,597


East Ayrshire
3,187
3,307


East Dunbartonshire
2,572
2,669


East Lothian
2,573
2,670


East Renfrewshire
2,120
2,200


Edinburgh, City of
9,950
10,325


Eilean Siar
2,752
2,856


Falkirk
3,558
3,692


Fife
9,045
9,385


Glasgow City
9,793
10,162


Highland
13,502
14,010


Inverclyde
1,488
1,544


Midlothian
2,222
2,306


Moray
3,553
3,686


North Ayrshire
3,248
3,370


North Lanarkshire
6,265
6,501


Orkney Islands
1,755
1,822


Perth and Kinross
5,639
5,851


Renfrewshire
3,666
3,804


Scottish Borders
5,779
5,996


Shetland Islands
1,791
1,859


South Ayrshire
3,287
3,411


South Lanarkshire
7,409
7,688


Stirling
4,661
4,837


West Dunbartonshire
1,721
1,786


West Lothian
4,316
4,478


Scotland
152,954
158,713



  GAE allocations are not budgets or spending targets. They are derived from a figure for the whole of Scotland which is the Scottish Executive’s view of what Scottish local authorities as a whole need to spend in order to provide an appropriate level of service. This then forms the basis of grant support from the Executive. The all-Scotland figure is allocated among the 32 local authorities according to a formula agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. It is however, for each local authority to decide on its own spending on individual services based on its own assessment of local needs and priorities.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to dual the A90 from Aberdeen to Peterhead.

Nicol Stephen: We have no current plans to dual the single carriageway sections of the A90 between Aberdeen and Peterhead. However, we are currently discussing with the North East Transport Partnership (NESTRANS) the conclusions of the multi-modal appraisal of the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty. Decisions on future improvements to that section of the route will be announced in due course.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to convey to Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) the importance of adopting good procurement practice.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Public Finance Manual sets out a number of requirements in respect of procurement, including requirements that procurement decisions are based on value for money (usually following competition), that procurement processes are managed by staff with appropriate skills, experience and training and that purchasers preserve the highest ethical standards in their dealings with suppliers.

  The Executive’s Procurement Directorate helps Executive agencies and NDPBs meet their obligations under the Finance Manual in a number of ways, through its website, publication of guidance manuals and ad hoc policy and best practice circulars and through periodic meetings for heads of procurement and through the award of contracts for common requirements (e.g. electricity and ICT services) which are available for use by Executive Agencies and NDPBs.

  In May 2004 the Executive also organised a major conference for Scottish public purchasers entitled "Delivering Change". The conference, attended by over 400 delegates, was designed to underline the important role that procurement needs to play in delivering better quality public services.

Social Inclusion

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of administering social inclusion partnerships in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The total amounts claimed for administering social inclusion partnerships in each year from 1999 up to 2003-04 are shown in the table below. Figures for the current financial year are not yet available.

  

Year
Total Administration Costs
(£)


1999-2000
845,407


2000-01
952,490


2001-02
1,045,911


2002-03
1,194,720


2003-04
1,242,249

Waste Management

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13424 by Ross Finnie on 20 January 2005, how much funding each local authority has received under the Innovation Fund in each year since the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 came into force.

Ross Finnie: Local authorities do not receive support from the Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund, run by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, is to help retailers minimise waste from packaging and products.